by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

The USA TODAY Sports Preseason Coaches Poll, released noon Thursday, begins in a familiar fashion: Alabama sits at No. 1, where the Crimson Tide ended the 2012 season, and another four SEC teams rank among the top 10. The SEC has six teams in the top 25, the most of any league in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Up next are the Big Ten and the Pac-12, which have five teams apiece. Just on the outskirts of the preseason top 25 are five teams with enough talent and experience to justify a preseason national ranking but enough potential issues to enter the 2013 season on the outside looking in. What are these five teams missing? What can each do to break into the top 25?

Kansas State (2012 record: 11-2)

-The Wildcats are the first team outside of the top 25 despite several positives, with none bigger than the coach on the sideline: Bill Snyder returns for his 22nd season at Kansas State â?? the fifth of his second turn in Manhattan â?? and returns the sort of foundation needed to again challenge for the Big 12 championship and factor into the BCS conversation.

What is Kansas State missing? Experience. The Wildcats return only eight starters from last year's team, including only one starter on the defensive side of the ball. The biggest loss is on offense, however, where Kansas State must replace all-conference quarterback Collin Klein.

What can Kansas State do? Snyder needs to pick a quarterback, for one, whether he opts for sophomore Daniel Sams, last year's backup, or junior-college transfer Jake Waters. Kansas State also has the luxury of a smooth non-conference schedule â?? a familiar sight â?? and plays at Texas and Oklahoma State to open Big 12 play. A 4-1 start will move KSU into the top 25; a 5-0 start will place the Wildcats firmly inside the top 10.

Miami (Fla.) (2012 record: 7-5)

-Miami enters its third season under coach Al Golden with vastly increased talent, even if mostly young, and a far stronger sense of direction â?? not to mention the motivation that comes with missing potential bowl trips in 2011 and 2012 due to self-imposed postseason bans. The Hurricanes narrowly missed joining No. 8 Clemson and No. 12 Florida State as ranked teams from the ACC.

What is Miami missing? There's no doubting the Hurricanes' overall talent level, not when Golden's team features potential stars at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. But the talent, while impressive, is largely untested. This is particularly true on defense, where Miami must improve upon last season's inconsistent performance to be truly viewed as a contender in the ACC.

What can Miami do? The Hurricanes' offense will keep this team in every game, but Miami could end up as the best team in the ACC should its defense rebound from last season's sour showing. Although the program has had its moments under Golden, the light has yet to fully turn on; this team will be a handful when both sides of the ball begin working in concert.

Michigan State (2012 record: 7-6)

-The Spartans' defense remained elite. If anything, in fact, last year's defense was the best of coach Mark Dantonio's tenure with the program â?? which is quite an accomplishment. But the offense was a wreck, with issues at the quarterback position stymieing Michigan State's ability to challenge Nebraska, Michigan and Northwestern in the Big Ten Legends Division.

What is Michigan State missing? An offense. While many of last season's starters return, the Spartans' offense will remain stuck in neutral unless senior quarterback Andrew Maxwell plays with more reliability during conference play. The need for improvement is doubled by the fact MSU must replace leading rusher Le'Veon Bell, the team's lone weapon of consequence in 2012.

What can Michigan State do? The defense remains elite, a unit capable of utterly limiting any opponent's chances of success moving the football through the air on the ground. Even with a paltry offense, last year's defense allow MSU to hang around in every game, losing five games by a combined 13 points. It's easy: Michigan State can win 10 or 11 games should it combine this elite defense with a simply average offense.

Baylor (2012 record: 8-5)

-The Bears closed last season with four wins in a row, three against Kansas State, Oklahoma State and UCLA, and head into 2013 with as much confidence as any team in the FBS. The torrid finish offset Baylor's sloppy start; in addition, the superb play seen from the offense allowed many to ignore the Bears' continued woes on the defensive side of the ball.

What is Baylor missing? To voters, Baylor's offense alone â?? while fantastic â?? is not enough to include the Bears among the top 25 teams in the FBS. But how good is this offense? Well, it's nearly unstoppable. Baylor still needs to prove itself against the Big 12's top third, tests that come primarily during the second half of the regular season.

What can Baylor do? Barring any major injuries, Baylor will break into the top 25 before the start of November. This is mainly due to the schedule: Baylor has five very winnable games during the season's first two months, with West Virginia and Kansas State the toughest dates, and could very well be 6-1 or 7-0 before the final month.

Virginia Tech (2012 record: 7-6)

-Last year's team won fewer than 10 games for the first time in eight years, snapping one of the most impressive active streaks in college football. The result is a new place for a proud program: Virginia Tech enters the 2013 season as a bit of an underdog, and needs to start strong to both remove the sour taste of a disappointing finish and show voters last fall's record was an aberration, not the start of a trend.

What is Virginia Tech missing? The Hokies were dramatically inconsistent in the passing game and a bit too porous defensively to compile extended winning streaks against ACC competition. To a degree, Virginia Tech remains a bit of an enigma â?? although recent history suggests a bounce-back season, last year's team plummeted to such a degree as to question whether the Hokies can immediately rebound.

What can Virginia Tech do? More than anything, the Hokies need a far stronger season from senior quarterback Logan Thomas. The bad news might also be the good news: Virginia Tech opens against No. 1 Alabama, and a win against the Crimson Tide would vault this team into the upper echelon of the top 25.

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Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is onTwitter @PaulMyerberg.